Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Making Gil in FFXIV - Part 1

So, last post I mentioned that I've been working on ways to make gil in FFXIV. This is a pretty big topic in itself, so there's really no way to cover it in one session. Instead of trying to do that, I'll start at some of the basic principles. Of course, this may prove rudimentary to some, but stick with me and we'll get to the beef of it all soon enough.

One of the neat things about online economies, such as those in massively multiplayer online role-playing games, is that they are as dynamic as the players who populate the virtual worlds of the game itself. Within these confines we often see the same behaviors, though sometimes amplified or muted based on the interpretations of individual online personas. Generally, though, we find that those who are not savvy at handling their real-life funds also struggle in-game. Thankfully, understanding the basic concepts in-game can also translate to the outside without costing you anything more than some of your dedicated leisure time.

There are some phrases that will resonate with a certain sense of familiarity: buy low - sell high, it takes money to make money, supply and demand... Thankfully, there is more than just these principles to get us by in FFXIV, though they are the bread and butter foundation to a gil making strategy.

So far, it seems that you can get by just fine in the game by playing your standard disciple of war or disciple of magic class. You can happy do your leves, collect your cash and item rewards, and supplement the rest of your gear by shopping frugally and making connections with other players. By killing mobs, you can trade materials and shards / crystals for goods and services. Or, sell them out-right for more liquidity and less restraints with your buying power.

On top of that, it is also viable to pick up one or more crafting classes as well. Here you will need to balance your efforts to avoid the obvious, and sometimes less than obvious, time sinks. These are usually dual-purposed as gil sinks as well, so keep an eye out. The finished product is not always the one that will net you the most gil per effort or time. With so many other crafters working as peers, juniors, and seniors on the supply line, you've got to examine the synths that ail make you money. You have to keep an eye on the competition. Sometimes you'll suddenly get a break in steady sales only to discover some nimrod haas parked his retainer a few feet from yours with blow out, rock bottom prices. This devalues your product, possibly saturates the market, and leaves you in a tight spot. Do you buy him out and relist the items at the going rate or do you mark down your own items and research your next product? There are several factors to consider. How rare are the materials required? How much do you already have invested? How much can you afford to lose if things don't go according to plan? And perhaps a bit more subtle, how much will it cost you to have bazaar slots taken by items that will not move - in other words, how much potential income do you stand to lose?

My next post will include a few more specific ideas on how to make gil in FFXIV, so sign up for my RSS feed or stop by again soon!

Making Gil in FFXIV - Part 2
Making Gil in FFXIV - Part 3
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